QPR boss Harry Redknapp: Seven or eight teams will be fighting for Premier League survival

Not much in it: But Redknapp admits Rangers must improve their away form Getty

Harry Redknapp believes that nearly half the teams in the Premier League will be battling relegation this season.

Redknapp’s Queens Park Rangers take on Burnley at Loftus Road on Saturday, with both sides expected to be fighting the drop throughout the campaign.

Rangers are currently second-bottom of the table, with 11 points, but they are only five adrift of 12th-placed Aston Villa. Redknapp believes “seven or eight” sides will be looking over their shoulders throughout the campaign.

“There is not much in it,” he said. “If you look at the teams who came up, Burnley have a similar side to last year. Sean Dyche has done an amazing job and most of his starting XI played in the Championship.

“We are very much the same type of team. We seemed to have improved from last season, when you consider Leicester won the league and finished a long way ahead of us.

“We’re going OK. Our away form is not good enough, but we’ve been excellent at home. It will be tight. There will be seven or eight teams in a scrap who will be around for most of the season.

“One or two may pull away but it will be a tight bottom third of the league this year.”

Redknapp added that, as usual, he will not allow his players to have a Christmas party. He argued: “It’s not worth the hassle. You only have to close your eyes and someone will take a picture to make it look as though you’re drunk. It’s more aggravation than it’s worth. We’re in a relegation battle and we have to concentrate fully.”